Lubricator.



PATENTED OCT. 16

G. H. ANNAN. LUBRIGATOR. APPLIOATION FILED NOV. 1, 190a.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

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PATEN TED OCT. 16, 1906.

G. H. ANNAN'. LUBRIGATOR. APPLICATION PILE D NOV. 1, 1905.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE H. ANNAN, OF PROVIDENCE, RHODE ISLAND, ASSIGNOR TO J OLTLUBRIOATOR COMPANY, OF PROVIDENCE, RHODE ISLAND, A CORPO- RATION OFRHODE ISLAND.

LUBRIGATOR.

No. e3e,14.9.

Patented Oct. 16, 1906.

Application filed November 1 1905. Serial No. 285,411-

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, GEORGE H. ANNAN, of Providence, county ofProvidence, and State of Rhode Island, have invented certain new anduseful Improvements in Lubricators; and I do hereby declare thefollowing specification, taken in connection with the accompanyingdrawings, forming a part of the same, to be a full, clear, and exactdescription thereof.

The invention relates to automatically-operating lubricators for use oncars and other structures of the type in which a normally closed valvefor controlling the feed of the lubricant to a bearing is adapted to beautomatically and intermittently opened by a jolt of the 'car or asudden vibration of the structure.

An automatic lubricator of this type is shown in the Letters Patentheretofore granted to me, No. 773,181, dated October 25, 1904, and thepresent invention relates to improvements in the structure shown anddescribed therein. In the structure of said prior patent thevalve-casing was separate from the oil cup or receptacle and required tobe screwed into the oil-cup or otherwise secured thereto. Onthis accountthe valvecasing, including the tubular extension for theactuating-weight, required to be machined to the desired form, andscrew-threads had to be out upon the valve-casing and in the oil-cup,all of which involved considerable labor and expense.

One feature of the present invention consists in casting or otherwiseforming the oilcup with integral hollow projections, one to serve as acasing for the valve and its actuating-spring and the other as areceptacle and guide for the weight, whereby the construction ismaterially simplified and the cost correspondingly reduced.

In the structure of the prior patent the only way in which theadjusting-screw, by which the tension of the spring is adjusted, couldbe turned was by means of a screwdriver applied to the lower end of thescrew,

and this necessitated either the removal of the valve-casing from theoil-cup or the removal of the oil-cup itself from its receptacle inorder to make the adjustment. The adjusting-screw also requires to belocked in its adjusted position. In the prior construction this lockingwas effected by means of a key or cotter-pin taking against a flattenedside of the adjusting-screw. This key was inconvenient to manipulate,and the construction involved the turning of the screw one complete turnto make an adjustment, which was often more than was desirable.

Further features of the invention'consi st in providing means wherebythe adjustingscrew may be adjusted from above, and thus withoutnecessitating the removal of the oilcup for the purpose and in providingmeans for locking the screw in any adjusted position when thus adjustedfrom above.

The invention further consists in certain features of constructionhereinafter de scribed and claimed.

Referring to the drawings, Figure 1 is a plan view of the lubricator.Fig. 2 is a side elevation thereof. Fig. 3 is a vertical transversesection of the same. Figs. 4 to 9, inclusive, are detailed views of theparts. Fig. 10 is a sectional view of a bearing, showing the lubricatorin place therein; and Fig. 1 1 is a corresponding sectional view atright angles to Fig. 10.

12 is the oil cup or receptacle, which has formed integral therewith theupward hollow projection 13 and the downward hollow proj ection 14.Located within the hollow projection l4 and arranged to seat against thebase of the projection 13 is, a valve 15, said valve being provided withan upward projection 16 and also with a downward projection 17, each ofwhich projections is flatted, as shown in the drawings. The hollowprojection 14 is interiorly screw-threaded to receive. theadjusting-screw 18. Said adjustingscrew is provided with a slot 19,adapted to receive the projection 17 of the valve, and is also providedwith a hole or aperture 20 for the passage of the oil. 'A spiral spring21 interposed between the valve and the adj usting-screw, serves to keepthe valve normally to its seatv Within the hollow projection 13 theweight 22 is loosely placed, said weight being pro vided with a slot 23,adapted to receive the projection 16 of the valve, the constructionbeing such that said weightnormally rests upon said projection 16, asshown in Fig. 3.

Said weight is also provided with a lug or projection24, adapted toengage a slot 25, formed in the hollow projection 18. Any desired numberof slots 25 may be formed in the said projection, three of such slotsbeing shown in the drawings.

In the drawings the lubricator is shown as employed in connection withthe axlebear ing of a railway-motor, which bearings have heretofore beencommonly lubricated by grease placed in a receptacle cast in themotor-frame. The oil-cup 12 is especially designed to be placed in thisreceptacle in the motor-frame, and in Figs. 10 and 11 the oilcup isshown as placed in the receptacle 26, which is a part of the motor-frame27, the oilcup resting on the bottom of the receptacle 26. At the bottomof the receptacle 26 there is an elongated slot 28 and in thebearingshell 29 there is a corresponding elongated slot 30. The oil-cupis provided with one or more downward projections 31, which, as

shown, extend through the slot 28 and into the slot 30, said projectionsserving to steady the oil-cup in position. If desired, the oil-cup mayalso be provided with steadying projections 32 at or near the upper endthereof, as shown in the drawings.

With the construction above described the operation is as follows: Asuitable quantity of oil is placed in the oil-cup 12, the valve 15 beingheld normally closed by its spring. Any sudden jolt or jar of the car,however, will serve to throw the weight 22 upward, and the weight infalling will strike the projection 16 of the valve, and thus force thevalve downward temporarily, so as to admit a quantity of oil to thebearing, the spring 21 serving to again close the valve and prevent theflow of an undue amount of oil. With the repeated jars or jolts to whichthe structure will be subjected in use the valve will be repeatedlyopened, admitting successive but comparatively small quantities of oilto the bearing.

The tension of the spring 21 may be adjusted by turning theadjusting-screw 20, and this turning of the adjusting-screw is effectedby removing the weight 22 and applying a suitable wrench or key to theprojection 16, and thereby turning the valve. By reason of theengagement of the projection 17 of the valve with the slot 19 of theadjusting-screw the turning of the valve will effect a correspondingturning of the adjusting-screw. While the valve and adjusting-screw maythus be turned together, the connection between the valve andadjusting-screw is such as not to interfere with the lengthwise movementof the screw or the valve with relation to each other.

When the tension of the spring has been properly adjusted, the weight isreplaced in position, with the lug 24 entering one of the slots 25, andby reason of the connection between the weight and the projection 16 theadjusting-screw will thereby be held in its adjusted position.

It will be seen that with the construction above described the tensionof the spring may be adjusted from above and without removing theoil-cup from its position in the receptacle'26. I What I claim as myinvention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. The combination of a receptacle, a valve, a spring acting on saidvalve, an adjustingscrew for adjusting the tension of said spring, and aconnection between saidvalve and adjusting-screw whereby a turning ofthe valve will effect a turning of said screw, substantially asdescribed.

2. The combination of a receptacle, a valve, a spring acting on saidvalve, an adjustingscrew for adjusting the tension of said spring, and asliding connection between said valve and adjusting-screw whereby aturning of the valve will effect a turning of the screw, but withoutinterfering with the relative lengthwise movement of the valve or screw,substantially as described.

3. The combination of a receptacle, a valve,

a spring acting on said valve, an adjustingscrew for adjusting thetension of said spring, said valve being provided with a projectionwhich engages said adjusting screw to turn the same, and with means forturning said valve, whereby a turning of the valve will serve to turnsaid adjusting-screw, substantially as described.

4. The combination of a receptacle, a valve, a spring acting on saidvalve, an adjustingscrew for adjusting the tension of said spring, saidvalve being provided with a projection which engages a slot in saidadjusting-screw to turn the same, the valve and screw being free to movelengthwise relatively to each other, substantially as described.

5. The combination of a receptacle, a valve, a spring acting on saidvalve, an adjustingscrew for adjusting the tension of said spring and aconnection between said valve and adjusting-screw for turning saidscrew, and means for locking said screw in its adjusted position,substantially as described.

6. The combination of a receptacle, a valve, a spring acting on saidvalve, an adjustingscrew for adjusting the tension of said spring, aconnection between said valve and adjusting-screw for turning saidscrew, and means adapted to engage a projection from said valve to holdsaid valve and screw from turning, substantially as described.

7. The combination of an oil cup or receptacle, a valve for controllingthe flow of oil therefrom, a spring acting on said valve, anadjusting-screw for adjusting the tension of said spring, a connectionbetween said valve weight arranged to act on said valve and slidablyengaging a projection therefrom, and means to hold said weight fromturning, substantially as described.

8. The combination of an oil cup or recep-' tacle, a valve forcontrolling the flow of oil therefrom, a spring acting on said valve, anadjusting-screw for adjusting the tension of said spring, a connectionbetween said valve and adjustmg-screw for turning said screw, a weightarranged to act on said valve and slidably engaging a projectiontherefrom, and a casing for said weight, said casing being provided withone or. more slots and said weight being provided with a lug adapted toenter one or the other of the slots in said casing to prevent saidweight from turning, substantially as described.

QQ'The combination of a receptacle, a valve, a spring acting on saidvalve, an adjustingscrew for adjusting the tension of said spring, aWeight acting on said valve in opposition to said spring, a slidingconnection between said valve and screw, a second sliding connectionbetween said weight and valve, and means for preventing said weight fromturning, substantially as described.

. GEORGE H. ANNAN.

Witnesses:

W. H. THURsTON, C. G. BRADLEY.

